With more than 30 years of experience covering Microsoft, Directions on Microsoft provides unique perspectives about the shifts in Microsoft technologies, roadmaps, and licensing policies that matter most to enterprise-size companies. Twice each month, industry veteran Mary Jo Foley interviews a different Directions analyst for informed insights and advice to help you drive full value from your Microsoft investments.
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Now Hear This Entertainment features interviews with guests who are having success in the entertainment business, with the content presented in a way that not only entertains fans of that guest and fans of good music interviews in general, but in a manner that educates musicians, singers, songwriters – entertainers who want to learn from those who are being interviewed each week by Bruce Wawrzyniak, president of Now Hear This, Inc. The guests come from a wide array of genres and locales.
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Finding happiness and contentment is seriously difficult. Iyaz Akhtar candidly shares his experiences on trying to achieve inner peace with weekly guests.
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Finding happiness and contentment is seriously difficult. Iyaz Akhtar candidly shares his experiences on trying to achieve inner peace with weekly guests.
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How do we cope with the worst things that have ever happened to us, and the most terrible things we have ever done? Reporting back from the edges of human experience, The F Word Podcast grapples with the thorny topic of forgiveness. Some have forgiven those who've harmed them, others are grappling with forgiving themselves. Not everyone is able to forgive. Not everyone has made complete peace with their past.
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Windows Server 2025: What you need to know
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Windows Server is back! Directions on Microsoft analyst Jim Gaynor and Mary Jo Foley delve into the new features and capabilities coming with Windows Server 2025 worth knowing about, including new Active Directory and security features, GPU partitioning for Hyper-V, hotpatching – and the Azure services you need to use them.…
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Microsoft Licensing Boot Camp Lessons Learned
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Mary Jo Foley interviews veteran Directions analyst Wes Miller, who shares surprising insights gained teaching customers how to navigate the Microsoft licensing maze for more than a decade. From over-licensing and under-licensing to underestimating Microsoft's revenue drive, you’ll learn the important do’s and don’ts of effective Microsoft licensin…
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Cloud Repatriation! A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm
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Directions analysts Jim Gaynor, Rob Sanfilippo and Andrew Snodgrass debate when, how, and why customers might want to move some (or even all) of their workloads and apps from the cloud back to on-premises.By Directions on Microsoft
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Professional touring multi-instrumentalist currently performing in Las Vegas as Trombonist/Keytarist with Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple. She has performed on the GRAMMY Awards, “Good Morning America,” and “The Voice,” and over her career in music has worked with a variety of artists ranging from Musiq Soulchild to CeeLo Green to Fantasia and even Op…
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Singer, songwriter, guitar player who has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe. Highlights of the original music he has released include international hits on the iTunes charts, a Spotify editorial playlist, and the Top 40 Roots Music Report and IndieWorld Report. In addition, videos from two of his songs have been nominated and selected for nu…
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Arkansas-based award-winning independent music duo who have toured internationally in over seven countries. They perform over two hundred shows per year, captivating audiences with their piano, fiddle, and guitar performances. They have a repertoire of over two thousand songs spanning multiple genres and just under two years ago opened for ZZ Top f…
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Nashville-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who is signed with Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Droptine Music Publishing. He earned chart success with his first No. 1 single “My Boy” by Elvie Shane as well as with cuts by Drew Green. His latest hit “Whiskey On You” by Nate Smith has topped the Canadian charts and reached No. 1 on Billboar…
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New York City-based singer, songwriter, piano player who released her debut album just over three weeks ago and, fittingly, did an album release party at the popular music club called Pianos, there in The Big Apple. She has upcoming shows IN New York, March 28th and May 11th in the city and April 24th in Brooklyn. A music video for one of the songs…
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Nashville-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who has had over 30 independent cuts. He was originally a drummer and toured the southeast before focusing his career on songwriting. He has performed all the way down in Key West, Florida, lots of shows here in Music City, out west in places like Arizona, and even overseas in Europe. He is …
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Nashville-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who is also the founder of Nashville Nights, which is discussed during this interview. He has written thousands of songs and had several publishing deals, and his story includes overcoming surgery on his vocal cords. He is a multiple GRAMMY-ACM-CMA-Golden Guitar and Dove-nominated songwriter and had…
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A content creator and keynote speaker who was a Las Vegas nightclub promoter for more than eleven years and now coaches musicians on how to establish themselves and make a career, saying, “All musicians know how to be creative, but not all know business and marketing.” He is also a practitioner in Positive Psychology, which he says is done so his c…
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Directions on Microsoft analyst Rob Sanfilippo talks with Mary Jo Foley about how the Directions' twice-yearly Azure roadmap comes together. The two compare notes on the latest Azure trends and hot buttons. Plus, Rob takes the Azure codename challenge (and loses).By Directions on Microsoft
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L.A.-based multi GRAMMY nominee and multi-talented platinum-selling producer, songwriter, composer/arranger, educator, and instrumentalist. He co-produced and wrote “Good Kisser” for R&B singing sensation Usher, which climbed to No. 1 on the US R&B/Hip Hop charts and garnered his first nomination for Best R&B song at the 2015 Grammy Awa…
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Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, guitar and piano player who just last month released a new music video that already has more than 6,500 views on YouTube. Last year she released an EP in November after having put out an EP in October, both following a deluxe 18-song album that she’d released in September after having put out a 14-song version …
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Subscriptions! A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm
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Directions analysts Michael Cherry, Jim Gaynor, and Wes Miller dive into how subscriptions have transformed Microsoft business model and what it means for Microsoft customers, both now and in the future.By Directions on Microsoft
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Australia-based multi-award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who has a new single coming out this Friday, February 9th. She achieved back-to-back number one iTunes charting singles and her singles have graced popular playlists like Spotify’s Fresh Country and Apple Music’s Today’s Country, to name just two. She has premiered on CMT…
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Ohio-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who, over the past four decades, has compiled a long list of country hits and chart-toppers on both domestic and international sales and radio airplay charts, including two Number 1 iTunes chart singles. He has been in Billboard magazine, on FOX TV, and has recorded popular duets with legendary artists l…
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Directions analysts Barry Briggs and Andrew Snodgrass talk with Mary Jo about the hype and the reality surrounding database systems this episode of the Directions podcast. Are organizations any closer to harnessing the power of data now than before? What works and what doesn't when it comes to data-management strategies?…
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Nashville-based recording artist who has a new single coming in just over two weeks, and last November put out her rendition of the classic holiday song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which followed the eight-song EP she’d released in August. On stage, she has opened for the likes of Morgan Wallen, Sara Evans, and Sam Hunt, among others…
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Music director and producer, recording and performing artist, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who has a new EP coming out this Friday, January 19th. She is also part of a duo act and the co-founder of Minx & Maestro Productions, which she talks about here. In addition, she has held the position of Specialist of Vocal Casting and Music…
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Composer and an acclaimed jazz pianist, and the founder of Open Studio, which is the world’s leading jazz education platform. His newest album was just released on December 1 and features his brand-new quartet. His touring career has taken him to six continents numerous times, and he played in the White House by invitation from President Obama seve…
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Athens, Greece-based singer, songwriter, guitar player, and composer who just released a remix single at the end of November. He is a working on a new album that he talks about here and has performed not only in his home country but in Turkey, France, Russia, Germany, Poland, and here in the U.S., including having at one point opened for Moby in Gr…
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Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who has released three singles this year, the latest of which came out on September 1st. Plus, he has another new song coming out next week Friday, January 5th. By the age of 12 he had co-headlined international guitar festivals in Mexico and toured around the U.S. After college he moved t…
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Copilots! A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm
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In our first Brainstorm episode, Mary Jo Foley, Andy Snodgrass, Rob Sanfilippo, and Barry Briggs discuss the avalanche of Copilots announced by Microsoft, whether they’ll live up to the marketing hype, and what they mean to enterprises and to enterprise users.By Directions on Microsoft
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Singer, songwriter, guitar player who just released a full album of twelve songs at the end of September. In the lead-up to it she had released four singles after having put out six last year. She appeared on Season 14 of “The Voice,” having gotten chair turns from both Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson, and since then has shared the stage alongside…
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Recorded on-location in Nashville with a singer, songwriter, guitar player who just released a duet of “O Holy Night” with Jay Allen. She had also released two singles earlier in 2023 and her Spotify Wrapped numbers for this year show well over 900 thousand streams of her music on that platform alone. Just announced is that she will be part of coun…
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In the last episode of the Directions on Microsoft EA podcast series, Mary Jo Foley quizzes former Microsoft negotiator Dean Bedwell about common Microsoft negotiation traps customers should avoid and the negotiation levers they can apply to optimize their EA renewal outcomes.By Directions on Microsoft
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NHTE 512 Preston Morelock of Kickstand Jenny
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The founder of and guitarist for the alternative rock group Kickstand Jenny. In June the band released a ten-song album featuring some notable contributors, with one of the songs already having well over a hundred thousand streams on Spotify, where they have more than twenty thousand monthly listeners. On the live performance front, the band has sh…
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Microsoft Roadmap: What was hot in 2023 and will matter in 2024
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Our panel of Directions on Microsoft analysts talk enterprise product and licensing hot buttons for 2023 and what will be top-of-mind in 2024 -- and answer customer questions.By Directions on Microsoft
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Sacramento, California-based songwriter and guitar player, one half of the duo act The Cracker Brothers, and the CEO of Outer Marker Records. He is also Head of Marketing, Artist Relations and Sales for D.W. Fearn / Hazelrigg Industries, and in the past was Director of Marketing for TEAC America, which includes TASCAM. Listen as he talks about alwa…
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A musician, producer, composer, arranger, and pianist who just released a 16-song Christmas album at the end of October. From that project alone, one song has over a million streams on Spotify, another has more than 1.6 million streams, and yet a third has 2.6 million. He has collaborated with artists ranging from Chicago to Spyro Gyra to Tower of …
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Miami-based entertainment executive who is the mastermind behind some of music’s biggest producers, including the multi-platinum Monsters & Strangerz and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning and GRAMMY Award-nominated Tainy, with whom he – four years ago – co-founded NEON16, a media and entertainment company that was voted the number one Most Innovative Musi…
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Australia-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and internationally acclaimed, award-winning, Platinum and Gold selling artist who just released a new single at the end of September and is now releasing a music video for it. She has toured the UK and Europe including having had a residency in London. She has performed with Lionel Richie, among o…
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Executive Focus: Microsoft's Seismic Shift to AI
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After years of promoting "Cloud, Cloud, Cloud," Microsoft has shifted to "AI, AI, AI." Mary Jo and former Microsoft CTO Barry Briggs put Microsoft’s big bet on AI into perspective by comparing it to its other strategic initiatives – past, present, and future.By Directions on Microsoft
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New York-based singer, songwriter, and the guitarist for the indie rock band, King Falcon. This past Friday they released an eleven-song, self-titled album, with mixing by a 12-time GRAMMY nominee. (A white vinyl version of the album will be released on December 1st.) On August 30th they’d released a music video for one of the songs from it, with t…
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California-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, and actress who just released her newest single last month. She does reveal during this interview, however, that there are four more new songs coming. She has performed at the GRAMMY Teen Concert, The Fashion Life Tour, and iHeartRadio 102.7 KISS-FM Concert at IPOP, plus she talks …
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New York City-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and fashion model who in June put out a 13-song collection of remixes, one week after having released a music video for one of her singles from last year. She has worked with some of the leading DJs, remixers, and producers in the world, and she is a member of ISINA, Inc., a music talen…
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Microsoft EA Negotiation Podcast Series: Discounts and Concessions
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In episode five of the Directions on Microsoft EA Negotiation podcast series, Mary Jo Foley talks with former Microsoft negotiator Dean Bedwell about the top pricing, business, and legal concessions every Microsoft customer should ask for and the best way to negotiate for them.By Directions on Microsoft
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Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, video director, and record label owner whose newest album was just released early last month. Previous successes include breaking into Billboard’s Top 40 with her debut release, and then hitting Number 1 on the Billboard Blues chart with her sophomore album. She even had one of her song’s featured in Pixar…
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Los Angeles-based recording artist who has scored over 30 films and had over 100 songs placed in film and TV shows. A singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist, among her film scoring projects is “Maxine,” a just released Disney-plus film starring Margaret Cho. She is a voting member of the Recording Academy and a four-time Hollywood Music in Medi…
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They are currently working together as artist and producer on an upcoming new album and are up for consideration for the GRAMMYs next February. She has done everything from sing for popes to appearing on “American Idol” to founding her own production company. She has trained in Rome, lived in London and New York, and, of course, released her own or…
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The biggest episode ever. Clearly the guests have only gotten better and better as evidenced by how many from the last hundred episodes are featured in this look back at a good number of "Now Hear This Entertainment" episodes since NHTE 401 Best Of Volume 4. On this edition you'll hear everything from befriending actor John Malkovich to thinking a …
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Think you know all about Microsoft's telephony services in Teams? In this episode, Directions analyst Jim Gaynor talks with Mary Jo Foley about the Teams Phone use cases, licensing requirements and more. Whether you're replacing your organization's phone system or looking for the best way to dial into a Teams meeting, Jim has you covered.…
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A renowned guitarist and vocalist who has sold millions of albums. From 1995 on, he took seven singles into the Top 10, and holds the record for the longest-running album on the Billboard Blues Charts. He has been nominated for five GRAMMY Awards and has received two Billboard Music Awards, two Blues Music Awards, and two Orville H. Gibson Awards. …
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Singer, songwriter, actress, and influencer who just put out a six-song EP in late June. The title track from that release reached number 11 on the iTunes charts and she has gotten airplay on iHeartRadio. She lives in Los Angeles and is known for her roles as Olive on Disney Channel’s “Sydney to the Max” and as Ava on Disney’s Emmy-nominated “Girl …
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Microsoft EA Negotiation Podcast Series – Negotiation
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In this fourth installment of a series covering Microsoft Enterprise Agreements (EAs), Directions on Microsoft's director of advisory services and former Microsoft negotiator Dean Bedwell shares his top tips and tricks for a successful EA negotiation.By Directions on Microsoft
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Singer, songwriter, guitar and player who has a new album coming out next week Friday, September 8th, which follows four singles that he has already released this year. Earlier this year he appeared on “American Idol,” and he has been hailed by Us Weekly as “One of the hottest young rising stars to watch in music right now.” Originally from South A…
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Award-winning singer, songwriter, guitar player who just last month put out a seven-song EP. She is also beginning work on a new album as well as a separate EP, both of which she talks about here. She regularly travels back and forth to Nashville and was named “One to Watch” by Nashville Songwriters Association International in Spring 2021 and Spri…
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Singer, songwriter, guitar player whose newest single was just released five days ago. In April he was signed by ONErpm, which operates one of the world’s largest music distribution platforms and YouTube multi-channel networks. He has drawn praise from the New York Times, and his debut album back in 2016 opened in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Country A…
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Fourteen Years of Microsoft Licensing Rule Changes: Looking Back and Forward
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Directions analysts Rob Horwitz and Wes Miller talk with Mary Jo Foley about what they've learned about Microsoft licensing after delivering more than one hundred Licensing Boot Camps over the past fourteen years. You learn what’s changed – and what never seems to change – about Microsoft licensing programs and rules. You’ll also find out about upc…
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